


Yummy

by vixevilcat7



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Blind Date, Dating, F/M, Romantic Fluff, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 10:02:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29624604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixevilcat7/pseuds/vixevilcat7
Summary: Joey is one treat that Jasmine can't resist!A/N: taken down. Now reposting
Relationships: Belinda/Larry, Joey/Jasmine, Steve/Betsy
Collections: vixevilcat7





	1. Chapter 1

Strawberries and whipped cream 

It was almost Valentine's Day! Jasmine was so excited! Joey had promised her a surprise! She wondered what he had up his sleeve. He wouldn't give her a hint. She hated when he did this. 'How was she supposed to know how to dress if she didn't know what she was dressing for?' She decided to call him and see if he would shed at least a bit of light on the matter.

"Joey? Hey, listen." she laughed as he flirted. "Yes. I love you, too. Listen sweetie, about this surprise. Do I need to dress any certain way? Casual, formal or how?"

"Hmm. Oh, I know. You know that cute little outfit you were wearing when we first met? Wear that." Joey told her. 

"Wait. Which meeting? As I recall, we had about three different 'first' meetings." she said. 

"You wore a little black miniskirt with that white shirt, with the flowing sleeves. Black vest. Fishnet and those little, what did you call them, bootie shoes? You looked so awesome in that! We were at that pirate themed party, remember?" he asked. 

She was stunned that he had that detailed of a memory from that night! Especially as he'd been so thoroughly smashed at that party! "Joey! How did you remember that? You were so drunk you couldn't even stand up by yourself!" 

He laughed heartily. "Oh, darling! You were the most beautiful girl there! Of course, I remembered!" 

She gigged as she blushed, talking to him. "Ok, I'll see if I can dig it out. I don't think I've worn that outfit since that night!"

"Well, please, please, try and find it. You were so lovely!" he lowered his voice. "God, darling! I'm getting excited just remembering that night!"

She whispered to him." So am I! I can't wait until tonight! Love you!" 

"Love you! See you soon!" he whispered back. 

They disconnected and she hugged herself. She let out a squeal and raced into her bedroom to find a certain pirate themed outfit! She still couldn't believe he'd actually remembered it! She dug through her closet and right there in the very back was the very outfit she was looking for. 

She heard a meow and looked down. "Oh, Sylvester! There you are! Where were you hiding earlier?" 

She'd frantically raced through the house earlier this evening, scared that her beloved tuxedo cat had escaped from the house. It certainly wouldn't be the first time! She put the outfit on her bed as she went to the kitchen to set out a bowl of food for him.

"I've got a date tonight, Sylvester. I'll probably be late getting in. Joey has a surprise for me. You remember Joey, don't you? The nice guy who brings you cat treats and gives you nice chin scratches?" Jasmine rattled on about Joey as she threw together a quick salad. It was one good thing about working from home. She never had to go out for lunch, unless she forgot to go grocery shopping! 

A small cry from the other room alerted her that the baby had woken up. That was another reason she was glad to work from home. She didn't have to worry about putting her nine month old son in daycare. She hurried into the loving room. Devon was sitting up in his crib looking at her, holding his arms up. She picked up her little ray of sunshine and hugged him tightly. 

She wasn't sure who his dad was. The night of the pirate party, she'd gone with some friends. They had all intended to stay in one big group. There had been a string of incidents that had caused them to almost change the minds. But Betsy had wanted to see the boy she was crushing on so they had gone. Almost immediately after they got there, everyone had been pulled in their own direction. Betsy had found Steve and the rest of them found Steve's frat brothers, one of whom was Joey.


	2. 18 months ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Jasmine met Joey

"Come on, Jasmine, please! Everyone else is going! We'll have plenty of time to study for the test! It isn't until next week! Steve has this friend you have GOT to meet! He's absolutely gorgeous! He's blonde haired and blue eyed, totally your type! Come on, please, Jasmine, please?" Betsy begged.

Jasmine sighed. "I don't know, Betsy. What about all those attacks we've been hearing about? It's not really safe to be walking around any more. Besides, I told mom and dad I'd come home this weekend. They're already expecting me. I hate to tell them no. I've only been home a couple of times since I've been here." 

"Listen to me, Jasmine. If you'll go to this party and meet Steve's friend, I'll gladly go home with you and meet your parents. Didn't you say they've been wanting to meet their daughter's roommate? I'll even stay in all next week and study with you, I promise! Please, pretty please!" Betsy tried to bargain with her. 

"I have to work that night. I don't get off until six. It'll be too late to go, then." Jasmine tried one last angle. 

"Nonsense! The party won't even be in full swing until eight at the earliest!" Betsy pounced, knowing Jasmine was about to give in. 

"I don't know, Betsy. Who all is going anyway? Is it just going to be you and me? Coz I have to tell you, my self defense isn't as sharp as it should be if something happens." Jasmine told her. 

"it won't be just us. Kristy, Jennifer, Lisa and Mika are going, too! All of Steve's frat brothers are going to be there, including Mr. blonde haired, blue eyed, Gorgeous! We'll all stay together, ok? That way, nothing will happen!" Betsy promised. She was giddy with excitement. It was very rare that she was ever able to talk Jasmine into going anywhere with her, much less a party! The girl seriously needed to go wild a couple of times! She was always so serious! 

Finally Jasmine caved. "Ok, ok. I'll go but I really don't have anything to wear to a frat party."

"I'll bet you do. If not, we'll go out and buy you something! Onward to the wardrobe!" Betsy ordered. Jasmine laughed as she led the way to her closet. Betsy immediately proceeded to dig through her clothes, in search of the perfect outfit.

"Ok, the party is themed. Everyone has to dress all in something resembling a pirate's outfit! Oh! Oh, you did not have this hidden! Jasmine! It's perfect! Oh, you'll catch some eyes in this one!" Betsy pulled the outfit out, hanging it up on the inside of Jasmine's closet. "Tomorrow, when you get in from work, we'll do your makeup and hair. You're going to look so beautiful, Jasmine!" 

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. The most you can do is keep me from looking like a plain Jane wallflower!" 

"Jasmine Renée Levinge! Don't you dare talk about yourself like that! You are beautiful! I don't know who you've been talking to or listening to but you ARE BEAUTIFUL! Don't let me hear you downing yourself again! You hear me?" Betsy fussed at her. 

"All right, all right! No more downing myself! Got it. Are you satisfied?" Jasmine seemed to treat it as just a joke. Betsy wondered if that wasn't the real reason Jasmine never went anywhere. 'Did she really think of herself as a plain Jane wallflower? Who had been filling her head with that load of crap? She was one of the most beautiful girls on campus! 

"Just don't change your mind about the party! You ARE going tomorrow night! If we have to tie you down, dress you, make you up and fix your hair ourselves, you are going to that party!" Betsy threatened playfully. They walked back into the living room of their dorm. 

Lisa, Jennifer, Mika and Kristy were all sitting there gossiping about boys who would be at the party. "Ahem! May I Ave your attention, please? Guess who I just talked into going to the party with us?" Betsy announced proudly, pulling Jasmine up beside her.

They all squealed excitedly. They'd been dying to get hold of her thick luxurious hair! Jasmine smiled and hid her red face. It seriously hadn't dawned on her that they would enjoy having her around. She was used to being left behind in the crowd, forgotten, pushed off into the corner. It was why she didn't even attend parties when she went home. She was an only child with plenty of cousins. They were all loud extroverts but she was quiet, more used to sitting with a book than talking and socializing. The girls all settled down to studying and the subject of the party was quickly dropped. This was their final year and they were all anxious to get the highest grades possible. 

The next day, Jasmine went to work with butterflies in her stomach. The further on the day went, the more nervous she got. 'What had she done?' By the time she was off work and going back to the dorm, she was ready to fake being sick in order to get out of going to this party! Once she walked in the door, though, she was caught up in the excitement. They were all running in and out of the bathroom, checking their hair and makeup before turning all their attention onto her! They sat her down and did her makeup first. Then they swept her hair up into a freely flowing look that danced around her shoulders and face. Then it was time for the outfit that had so excited Betsy! 

"Jasmine, why haven't you ever worn this before? It looks brand spanking new!" Lisa exclaimed. 

Jasmine shrugged. "I never had a reason to wear it before. Anywhere back home, it would have stood out like a sore thumb." The girls all looked at her in disbelief. 'Was she serious? This outfit would have stood out in her hometown? Did nobody there wear mini skirts and fishnets?' 

It was Kristy who asked the question they were all wondering. "Jasmine, does nobody in your hometown dress like this? How do they dress then?"

"I guess I never told you. I'm from a very small community that had its beginning in an Amish village. Our family broke ties and moved south about seventy years ago. That was my great grandparents. They still lived by the Amish code, though and raised my grandfather and his sisters like that. It trickled down to my mother and my father believes the same way. They had to approve everything I wore before I could leave the house." jasmine told them. 

The girls looked at each other in understanding. 'That explained so much about Jasmine! How quiet she always was. How she never pushed herself forward. And never, ever drew attention to herself!' They carefully got her dressed, making sure every fold of the shirt was just right. Finally they stood back, in awe of just how lovely she was. The boys would go crazy over her tonight! They gathered their wraps, making sure their ID's were in their pockets. Since the party was at a frat house, the drinks were free. All they had to do was show up at the door! 

Baseball practice seemed to go on forever! Finally Steve and Joey were turned loose to get ready for the party! Joey wasn't too sure about this get together. He'd never been much of a drinker. The strongest drink he'd ever had up to now was a glass of Hennessy that his father had made him nurse all night at a boring social event! He was so glad he'd managed to talk his dad into letting him choose a school away from New York! This small town had taken some getting used to but he loved it! Steve had been his first friend. They had been roommates for the past almost four years. His dad was pressing him to come home now. He'd been sending Joey regular packages of universities up north for the last six months. He'd known eventually that he'd be moving on to an Ivy League school. It just seemed like the time had flown by too fast! 

"So I don't really have to drink tonight, do I?" he asked Steve. Steve laughed and shook his head. 

"Come on, Joey! This is one of those experiences you have to have in college! You can't say you were in a fraternity unless you get completely smashed at least once! Don't worry, buddy, I'll be right there to help you find the trashcan!" he clapped him on the shoulder as he chuckled at the blonde. More times than he could count, Joey had been the one to keep watch over him while he got blind, stinking, drunk! Now it was time for him to return the favor. He had yet to really even see Joey tipsy, much less totally sloshed! 

"Listen, bud. Betsy is coming tonight and she's bringing some friends with her. Maybe you'll find one you want to hook up with, aye?" he teased. 

"I'll be going home soon, dude. It won't do me any good to hook up with someone, only to leave her behind in a couple of weeks." Joey said. 

"Well, that's why they're called one night stands. Another experience you have to have while being in a fraternity!" Steve joked. At the shocked look on Joey's face, he burst out laughing. "Kidding, buddy, I'm only kidding!" Soon he and Joey both were cracking up so much, they couldn't even glance at each other. 

They got ready and went down to help their frat brothers get everything set up. At six, they started blasting the music and passing around the first round of drinks. Steve proposed a toast. "To our good boy, Joey! This boy has never been drunk while he's been here! He'll be leaving us soon, going back up north. So tonight, let's all enjoy his company while we have him! Let's also see if we can't help him solve that little problem, aye?" a round of ayes went up from the circle of boys. Joey was handed a Heineken and they chanted all around. "Drink! Drink! Drink!" 

Joey laughed and popped the bottle of beer open. He tipped it up and chugged the whole thing, to the delight of his frat brothers. With wild howls of celebration, they made sure Joey was never without a beer the rest of the night. By the time eight o'clock rolled around, he was already so drunk, he could barely walk a straight line. They sat him on the couch and told him to stay.

Betsy, Jasmine, Kristy, Jennifer, Lisa and Mika walked in, showing their ID's. Steve caught sight of Betsy and came rambling over. "Hey, there's my best girl. Hey, baby, you look so good!" he nuzzled her behind the ear as she giggled.

"Who else do we have here? Ladies, I'm Steve. This is my buddy's going away party. He'll be going back to New York tomorrow. Let's show him how much we'll miss him, ok?" Steve said. 

"This is Kristy, Jennifer, Lisa, Mika and Jasmine." Betsy introduced them to him. He turned and pointed at the couch. Joey was sitting there, slouched over another bottle of Heineken.

"There he is. The going away boy. C'mon, let's go see him." Steve led the little parade over to the couch. "Hey, buddy, you're not passed out yet, are you? We got some friends here to meet you." Joey straightened up, blinking dazedly at them. He seemed to notice the new drink in his hand. He smiled broadly at them as he chugged it down. Steve whooped loudly. "Yeah, buddy, there ya go! Another drink for the baby of the family!" 

The guys laughed as they brought another beer to the couch. Joey looked at all the girls before he stopped at Jasmine. He fell over as he stared at her, wide eyed. Betsy giggled. She'd hoped they would hit it off. If Joey's reaction was anything to go by, he definitely liked what he saw. He sat back up, smiled and motioned at Jasmine. She blushed as she joined him on the couch. 

He wasted no time in putting his arm around her, holding her close. "Hey, I'm Joey.

"Hi, I'm Jasmine. Nice to meet you, Joey." she said softly. He leaned closer to her.

"Nice to meet you, too. May I say, I love your outfit? That's the best pirate's outfit I've seen all night." he told her. 

"Thank you. I'm pretty fond of it. This is the first time I've worn it." she told him. 

"Well, it definitely doesn't need to be the last time you wear it. That outfit screams 'Wear me!'" he laughed. 

Jasmine was so enthralled with him, she didn't even mind the beer Betsy had put into her hand. Even though she wasn't much of a drinker, she took a deep swig. She barely managed to swallow it down without coughing. Pretty soon, it was obvious to everyone that they were both completely smashed. They had gone from talking to kissing about the time of Jasmine's second beer. By the fourth beer, they were evidently in their own little world and hands were starting to travel up under shirts and skirts. Steve grabbed Joey and Betsy grabbed Jasmine. They moved them out of the living room upstairs to Joey's room. They dumped them on his bed, both of them having passed out on the way up. They didn't expect either of them to move the rest of the night. 

Jasmine opened her eyes, staring blearily at the shadow above her. Someone was kissing her. "You're so beautiful. I could kiss you all night." She smiled and kissed them back.

"Please do so. I'd love nothing better." He moaned softly as she responded. 

He eased his hand up under her shirt. She arched her back, reaching behind her to unsnap her bra. He pulled her shirt off, then his shirt as he laid back down beside her. He started kissing her jawline as she grabbed his hair and pulled him closer. She kissed his ear and giggled as he flipped over on her. They kissed as they slowly stroked each others face. He lined her throat in kisses all the way to her collarbone. His hands were busy massaging and rubbing her breasts. He moaned as he buried his face between them. 

He pushed his hips into hers as he lifted his face. She raised her hips off the bed in silent invitation. He quickly unzipped and lifted the mini away from her, dropping it in the floor. His pants followed close behind. She'd worn nothing but a thong underneath the skirt. It was discarded as well. His heart was pounding as he stared at the beauty before him.   
She wore nothing but fishnet stockings and booties, he thought they were called. He pulled the boots off but left the fishnets on. He kissed her, then trailed down and tasted each peak before he kissed down her stomach, paying close attention to her bellybutton. She was gasping and arching her back as he took his first lick. He smiled as he licked again . He rubbed a finger against her center and delighted in the moans that issued from her throat. He pushed a finger gently in between the parted folds, not wanting to hurt or scare her. 

She pushed against his hand, holding it against herself. "Show me, sweetheart. Show me how you like it."

She clasped his hand as she showed him how she liked being rubbed. If she kept her eyes closed, she could almost imagine that she was in the privacy of her own room, masturbating to her favorite music. He rubbed her every way she wanted him to and kissed her as she let out a low scream of ecstatic delight. He pulled her over as he laid down under her. He took both her hands in his as he pressed her against himself. She gasped as she felt the length of him. She looked down at it. He watched with bated breath to see how she would react. She smiled down at him, leaned over and kissed him. She rose up and lowered herself down onto him. 

"Guide me down." she whispered. 

He reached down, lined himself up with her and rose to meet her. They moaned together. 

She fell forward, breathing heavily. "Take me! Now! Do it now!" he rolled them back over and sank into her. He thought he heard a moan of pain but he wasn't sure because she was soon gasping at him. "Faster! Faster! Oh, god, deeper! Go deeper! Aahh!" Pretty soon they were kissing again to muffle their cries of ecstasy! They fell over the edge and drifted off to sleep. 

In the morning, Jasmine woke up. She gasped as she realized she was in a strange room, naked! She could hear the shower running. She jumped up, moaning at the soreness of her body. She quickly dressed and slipped out the door. The last thing she remembered was talking to Steve's friend on the couch! 'How had she ended up naked in some random guy's bed?!' She sneaked down the hall and out the door, noting as she did that said random guy must have been both at the party and a frat brother to Steve! 'Great! Now she was going to have to avoid anyone wearing a letter coat matching Steve's for the rest of the day!'

Joey groaned at his aching head. He'd hoped a cold shower would take some of the edge off but it hadn't. NOW he remembered why he'd never bothered to get drunk when he was younger. Too many times, he'd watched his father deal with a hangover. It hadn't helped matters by waking up to a beautiful girl in his arms. If she was still here, he'd love to get to know her. She looked absolutely stunning ! He fumbled his way out of the shower and back into his room. The beautiful girl was gone. 'Damn it! Why hadn't he woken her up?' Then he saw it. A bloodstain on his sheet. He sank down on the bed, staring at it. 'A virgin. Last night had been her first time!' He cursed as he thought back. 'Please, god, let him have been gentle with her, at the very least!'

Two things happened simultaneously that day. Joey's father showed up with a limousine and a moving truck, packing his son up and taking him back to New York. Across the campus, Jasmine was throwing all her clothes into her suitcases, including the outfit from the previous night! She carried her bags to her car and went home to her small town community.


	3. Joey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home again, home again, yay.

Joey hadn't said much more than a greeting in the time between leaving the dormitory and arriving at the airport. During the flight home, he sat at one end of the plane, his father and associates were at the other end. His father hadn't given him a chance to talk to Steve about last night. He hadn't even had a chance to tell his frat brothers to give his motorcycle to Steve until he could come back for it. He had greeted his mother with a hug and a kiss. It was night and day compared to the stiff hand shake and rapid-fire exchange of greetings with his father.

His little brother eyed him warily. He'd only been six, just starting kindergarten when Joey had left for college. He'd had his parents' undivided attention for four years. Now he was about to start fourth grade and his big brother was back. He wasn't sure whether he was happy about this new development or not. Joey didn't really seem as friendly as a big brother should be. It never crossed Rory's mind that Joey had been the only child until HIS birth. He'd had his parents to himself for thirteen years before Rory came along. 

Of course, he'd been jealous of giving any part of his parents' attention to the new baby! He'd soon realized that having the new baby was settling his father down. His parents had fought like cats and dogs for as long as Joey could remember. Suddenly, there they both were, cooing over that little intruder. So be it. Let the little rug rat have them. If it had meant they didn't scream and fight every night, he was all for having a little brother. He'd actually gotten a few years of peace. Then he'd gone to college. It wasn't his father's choice of school but it was away from home and they were starting to bicker again. Just like the bad old days. Joey wanted no part in the dog fight! Let the little gremlin deal with them for a while. 

Now here he was, back in the same mouse trap as before. His father was making noises of him settling down. Fuck sake! He was only 21! Way too young to even THINK about settling down yet. He pushed back the little seed of thought concerning his mystery girl. If he'd managed to catch her before she'd disappeared this morning, maybe the thought of settling down wouldn't be so horrifying. But he hadn't, so he shuddered with horror at the very thought. He knew what he was in for.

It would be the very same boring social events he'd been forced to attend before he left for college. Only this time, the girls would seriously be husband hunting! He'd have to keep his guard up at all times. He needed to see Belinda! She'd know what to do and how to help him protect himself. She was the big sister he'd never thought he wanted until he actually had her!

The old man was also trying to con him into damn Harvard Law School. He'd told him he wasn't interested in being a lawyer, much less going to law school. Did he listen? Hell, no! He'd just plowed straight on with his own argument that it was time for Joey to go into the family business! Fuck the family business! Joey wanted no part of it. He had his own ideas of what to do with his future. 

He walked out of his room in time to almost plow into the little gremlin! That was something else. The little brat had started following him around as soon as he walked in the door. Maybe, in a day or two, he'd feel like talking to the kid. Right now, he was in a mood to bitch the old man out. Rory didn't need to be a witness to THAT!

Rory looked up at him with wide, wary eyes. "Hey, Joey. Did you want to go-?" It was all he got out before Joey walked out the door. "Or not." Rory sighed. Mom had told him to be patient. It would take Joey a few days to get used to being home. Then he'd be ready to hang out with him.

Joey walked down the hall connecting their penthouse to the other one. He knocked and waited. Hearing a bid to come in, he walked in and greeted one of Belinda's dads. When he was younger, it had confused him about her having two dads. But then his mother had explained that some children had two dads or two moms. Other children, like him, had a dad and mom.

"Hey, Mr. C. Is Belinda here?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she and Larry are in her room. Be a doll, Joey. Go in there and chaperone them, will you?" Mr. C, or Collin, laughed as he replied. 

Joey chuckled as he went down to Belinda's room. Giving three rough taps, he growled. "Little Pigs, Little Pigs, let me in!"

A squeal of joy greeted him from inside the room. Then, "Not by the hair of our chinny chin, chins!" The door flew open as a blonde girl rushed out at him. "Joey! When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me you were here? Oh! Look at you! You're skin and bones! Don't they know how to cook down there? Come on! I'll fix you a sandwich while we talk!" She said bossily. 

Joey laughed happily. 'Same old Belinda!' As long as he could remember them being friends, she was always worried about how skinny he was and always tried to cram him full of food! 

"I promise you, Lin, I did eat down there. You know how hyper I've always been. It goes straight through to that hollow leg you always teased me about!" he sniggered. 

She giggled at the old saying they'd joked about as kids. Larry, following them to the kitchen, chuckled as he listened to them falling back into their old easy routine. 

"Hey, Mr. M, how are ya?" Joey greeted her other dad easily. Mr. M (Marcus) smiled at him. 

"Hey, Joey! Long time, no see! You finally came back for a while? Your mother and brother have been excited for days. That's all little Rory has been talking about. Joey this and Joey that. "Mr. M told him. 

Joey thought back to a few minutes ago. The kid had tried to talk to him. Maybe, after he blew off some steam, he'd go back and see what the kid had tried to say. "The old man thinks I'm here to stay. Contrary to what he thinks, I'm not really planning to stay too long. I already have my own plans."

"That's good. It's always good to have a plan for your future. So would you like to stay for dinner? I know Lin has missed you, too." Mr. M smiled at his daughter.

"I was going to fix him a sandwich, dad. Look at him! They must have practically starved him down there! He's skin and bones!" Belinda exclaimed to her dad, who laughed heartily.   
Larry face palmed as he laughed, too. Joey bit back a smile as he rolled his eyes. 

"All right, I can tell you three want to talk. Your father and I will be in the other room if you need us. Enjoy yourselves." Mr. M kissed Belinda's forehead as he left the room. 

"Ok, bud. Sit down and start talking. How are you really? You look like you had a rough night." Belinda said to Joey. He sighed as he rubbed his face. He didn't think he looked too bad. He surely must still have some signs of last night or she wouldn't have noticed.

"There was a party at my dorm last night. A going away party for me." Joey chuckled. "It got, uh, pretty wild."

"Pretty wild?" Belinda questioned incredulously. "Like HOW 'pretty wild' did this party get?" 

"Weelll, um. I'm told that I drank two whole six packs of Heineken. BY MYSELF." Joey flicked a brow up. Belinda's mouth dropped open. Larry also stared at him, slack jawed. 

"YOU? You drank two whole six packs? By YOURSELF?" Belinda gasped. "Joey, you've never been drunk a day in your life! How did you manage THAT feat?"

"God knows! But I did it or so they told me! Apparently, that wasn't all I did last night." he told her.

"Ooh! What else did you do?" Belinda leaned close. He didn't seem as eager to spill THIS tidbit as he had the drinking!

"I, uh, I think I slept with a girl. I think it might have, um, been her first time, too." Joey admitted, looking ashamed of himself.

"Slept with? First time? Joey? Are, god, are you sure?" Belinda came around the counter, lying her arm across his shoulder. 

He nodded miserably. "I, uh, I woke up this morning. My head was pounding. God, it hurt so bad! I had my arms wrapped around this DAMN beautiful girl! God, she was gorgeous! She was still asleep and I was still," he ducked his head, "IN HER!" he said in a very low whisper. Belinda bit her lip. She couldn't laugh at him. It was obvious this was another first for Joey.

"So if you woke up with her in your arms, you definitely slept with her. But how do you know it was her first time? Did she tell you?" Belinda sat on the barstool next to Joey. 

"I got up to take a shower, thinking that might help my head to quit pounding. I was going to introduce myself to her, get to know her some more, maybe ask her out, you know?" Joey said. "But by the time I got out of the shower, she was gone! There was a bloodstains on my sheet! God, I only hope I was gentle with her!" he softly exclaimed. 

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about any consequences, right? I mean, it might not have been the ideal way for her to lose her V-card. But she can say she had fun while she was there. Joey?" Belinda stared at him. He had stiffened in panic.

"Oh, god!" he grabbed his hair. He couldn't believe this! It just kept getting worse!

"Joey! What's wrong?" Belinda shook his arm.

"There, there might end up being consequences." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"What do you mean? 'There might be consequences.' Tell me." She ordered. He looked at her. 

"I don't remember using anything last night." he said slowly. 

"Ok. That does it. I'm fixing you a sandwich and we're going to see a doctor." Belinda rushed to the fridge and began making him a sandwich.

"Wait! What? Why?" Joey yelped at her in surprise. She turned to look at him. 

"STDs, Joey! You need to be tested! I don't care if it was her first time! You were sexually active last night and we need to get you tested. No arguments. No ifs, ands or buts! You're getting tested and that's that!" she declared. Joey sighed with resignation. It didn't do to argue with Belinda. Sooner or later, she always got her way. 

After he finished his sandwich, they left and went downtown. There was a free testing clinic that catered to the college crowd. After submitting both blood and urine samples, they were told to come back in a week for his results. 

"I really don't think it was necessary to do that." Joey said. They were walking back home.

"Probably not, with it being her first time. Better to be safe than sorry, though. At least this way, you'll know she's healthy, too!" Belinda said. "So what are you going to do now? Your dad has been telling my dads that you're going to go to Harvard Law."

Joey snorted. "Not damn likely! I've already got plans of my own and they sure as hell don't include Harvard Law! My buddy, Steve, is going to open a motorcycle shop. We were going to run it together. I'd even bought a bike and learned how to work on it. Dad didn't even give me a chance to tell our friends to make sure Steve got my bike." 

Belinda hugged him in sympathy. "Oh, Joey! Maybe Steve knew to get the bike. I mean, if you'd already planned to run the shop together, right?" 

"Yeah, I hope he did." Joey said. 

Belinda smiled at Larry. "So what else are you thinking about, Joey?"

"I wish I knew who she was, for sure. I think her name was Jasmine. I bet Steve would know her. I think he introduced me to some girls last night. She might have been one of them. I was so drunk by then, I don't really remember much more. I think I was talking to her on the couch. This morning, I know she was beautiful. She smelled like she had on jasmine perfume. Last night, this girl had on an outfit that, Damn, man!" Joey got a big, goofy grin on his face, just thinking about her. 

Belinda and Larry exchanged delighted grins. They'd hoped that Joey would find a girl. Belinda decided right then to get in touch with this Steve guy and find out as much as she could about this mystery girl, Jasmine.

"So what are you going to do until you go back? You are going back, aren't you?" Belinda prodded him. 

"Yeah, I am. I thought I'd stay just a little while and visit with mom. I've missed her the past couple of years." Joey mused. 

"What about Rory? Didn't you miss him? He's sure missed you. He's been talking about you all week. Telling me he's going to show you all his favorite games. Seeing if you would go to Central Park with him. There's a huge playground there, you know. It's got a skate park, a climbing wall and a fishing pond. He's hoping you'll take him fishing some time." Belinda told him. 

"Yeah. I might have missed the little gremlin a little bit. He tried to talk to me this morning before I came over but I wasn't in the mood to talk." Joey looked at Belinda who had stopped dead in her tracks. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot, glaring at him. "Pull it back, Belinda, I was already planning to talk to the gremlin when I went back home." 

Belinda smiled brilliantly at him. Joey sniggered at her. Larry shook his head at both of them. They reached their building and took the elevator. 

"Hey," Joey said, "if that dinner invitation is still open, I'll take you up on it and bring Rory. Mom was talking about some kind of function her and dad are going to this evening."

"Sure thing, bud. You remember we eat around six, right? That gives you a couple of hours to get reacquainted with your little brother!" Belinda looked at him meaningfully.

"Yes, sister dear. I fully plan to go straight in and talk to little brother." Joey said mockingly. 

They went their separate ways. As promised, Joey went in search of his little brother. He found him in his room, hunched over some toy soldiers Joey remembered playing with. Mom must have dragged out some of his old toys for the munchkin. Rory didn't see him standing there as he arranged the soldiers into rows. Joey leaned against the doorframe, wondering what in the world he could even talk to the child about. Finally he bit the bullet and walked into the room. 

Hunkering down beside Rory, he reached out and said, "I think these guys would do much better over here. We don't want them in front of the infantry. They might get caught by friendly fire."

Rory jumped and stared at him. Then curiosity get the better of his shyness. "Friendly fire? What's that?"

"That is when a group of soldiers go out to fight. It gets so heated that sometimes they forget where their own people are. When that happens, they could accidentally end up shooting some of their own people, thinking they're the enemy." Joey explained. 

"That's not good, is it?" Rory asked. Joey shook his head. 

"No, bud. That's not good. If that happens, the ones who shot them usually end up court-martialed and in prison. Definitely not good." he told him. 

"We don't want our guys ending up in prison, then." Rory decided. Joey had to smile at him. 

Mrs. Williams walked by just then. She glanced in and smiled. Her big boy was talking to her baby. She'd been hoping Joey would send time with Rory while he was here. She already knew it didn't matter what plans her husband had made, Joey wouldn't be sticking around. He had an independent streak that rivaled his father's. He would make his own way in the world or die trying, just like his father. 

"Joey, Rory. What's this? Toy soldier time?" she walked into the room. 

Kneeling between them, she touched a hand to both their cheeks. They both smiled at her. 

"Hey, mom. When you and dad go out, don't worry about us. Belinda and her parents invited me to dinner tonight. It's ok to take Rory with me?" Joey posed it as a question. 

"Of course, sweetheart. Tell the Adams hello from your father and me." she said. "I'd better get going. It takes me forever to get ready for these things. I love you both." Standing up, she kissed both their foreheads.

"Love you, too, mom!" they chorused together. Then they went back to playing with the soldiers. She walked out of the room, smiling happily.


	4. Rory's Big Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey plans to make the most of hanging out with Rory.

Joey's dad walked rapidly down the hall. 'Where was that boy?' He pushed open the door to Joey's room. It was empty. Then he heard laughter from his younger son's room. He pushed open that door. Sure enough, there was Joey and Rory, sitting in the floor, playing with toy soldiers. 

"Joey! Why aren't you ready yet? We leave in ten minutes!" he snapped. Joey looked up and frowned. 

"Excuse me? I'm not going anywhere except across the hall in ten minutes with Rory. Belinda's dads invited us to dinner while you and mom are at your function!" he told him. Rory was watching them, wide eyed. 

"Your mother was supposed to tell you to be ready to go with us! She didn't?" his dad huffed angrily. Just then, their mom walked in. 

"Raymond, leave Joey alone. He's been away too long. He and Rory need to reconnect as brothers. You have all summer to get your way. For gods sake, let him get to know his little brother." she ordered. Raymond Williams frowned at his wife, then his sons. Finally he threw his hands in the air and walked out. Elizabeth Williams winked at her sons and smiled smugly as she followed him.

"Hey, Rory. Speaking of which, we better get moving, too. Belinda's dads hate it when dinner is late. Come on. Let's leave these soldiers set up and play some more when we come back, ok?" Joey ruffled Rory's hair playfully. Rory smiled adoringly at him and jumped up eagerly. They headed down the hall after their parents. At the end, they went left, to the other penthouse and their parents went right, to the elevator.

Right at 5:55, Joey knocked on the door. Mr. C called them in as he set the table. He sent them down the hall to round up Belinda and Larry. Rory laughed as Joey held him close and banged on the door again. "FBI, open up, ya outlaws! Got a little pitcher out here! Don't be doing anything you don't want him copying!"

"Joey, you nutcase!" Belinda laughed as she opened the door. "Hey, Rory! How ya doing, baby? Big brother treating you ok?"

"Yeah. He wasn't in the mood to talk this morning. He came back happier, though. We were playing with my soldiers. Dad tried to make him go with him and mom to that dumb old party. Mom made him let Joey stay with me." Rory told her cheerfully. It was clear that he was ready and willing to stay with Joey all summer long. Joey intended to make full use of that fact. He didn't care if he had to take Rory to the park every single day, he'd do it if it meant avoiding the plans his dad had in place for him!

"Well, you let me know if Joey starts getting all snappy and snarly at you. I'll make him behave, ok? What are the two of you going to do tomorrow?" she asked, curious to see if Joey really planned on hanging out with Rory. 

"Hmmm. Didn't you mention something about a park earlier, Lin? Something about a climbing wall? How about it, Rory? Want to go wall climbing with your big brother tomorrow?" Joey looked down at the boy. Rory smiled brightly as he nodded.

"Yeah! That'd be AWESOME!" he exclaimed. Joey laughed and ruffled his hair again.

"Kids! Dinnertime! It's spaghetti night! Come and get it!" Mr. C called out. The four rushed back to the dining room and took their seats. 

"Rory, how are you enjoying having your big brother home?" Mr. C asked him. 

Rory grinned great big. "It's great, sir! We're going to go to Central Park tomorrow and get on the climbing wall!"

"The climbing wall, huh? I remember when I'd take Belinda and Joey down there. That was always their favorite thing to do. They also liked the skate park and the bicycle trails." Mr. C said. 

"Oh, trust me. We're going to explore every trail there is: bicycle, walking or skating. You know how to skate, Rory?" Joey asked him. Rory shook his head. "Oh, we have definitely got to correct that! Don't you worry, bro. You'll be whizzing along before you know it!"

Rory couldn't stop grinning the whole evening. It sounded like Joey was planning to stay with him a lot! Belinda smiled at Joey approvingly. She fully intended to make sure Joey kept his word to the child. She and Elizabeth Williams had talked quite a bit over the last four years. They both agreed that Joey and Rory needed to be closer. 

At the end of the evening, Joey and Rory walked back to their penthouse. "Joey, why does Belinda have two dads? Where is her mom?" They had just walked into their living room when he asked the very question that used to confuse Joey.

"Um, well, little buddy. That's just how some families are. They have two dads like Belinda or two moms like this other girl I went to school with, Carla. Or they can be like you and me, with a dad and a mom. Some families don't even have two parents. And that's ok. There are all different types of families out there." Joey told him, not quite sure how much mom would want Rory to know. As if summoning her with his thought, Elizabeth and Raymond Williams chose that moment to walk through the door. 

"Boys! How did your evening go?" she walked over, kissing them each on the forehead. 

"Mom, how come Belinda doesn't have a mom, like me and Joey?" Rory stared at his mom curiously. Elizabeth looked at Joey, clearly remembering him asking her the same question. 

"Oh, sweetheart. That's a long story. Come along and get ready for bed. Then I'll tell you, all right?" Rory nodded and ran into his room. He reappeared a moment later to hug his mom, dad and Joey. Then he raced back into his room. Elizabeth followed him out. 

Joey was halted at the door by his father. "Joey! You realize you will be attending social events soon? I'll give you this week with your brother." Joey looked at his dad.

"YOU realize I won't be here long? I'm NOT staying up here, dad! I have my own plans for my future! They don't include law school, being a lawyer OR the family business! I came back for mom and Rory! Can't you just enjoy having your oldest son home for a while before he leaves again?" Joey walked out without another word. 

He went down the hall to his room. He cursed as he went into his bathroom. 'Damn, he hated fighting with the old man but that seemed to be the only way to get his point across!'After he finished his shower, he threw on some pj bottoms and went across to peer into Rory's room. The boy was just getting settled down. Mom was tucking him in. He went in and settled on the floor beside her chair. 

It'd been a while since she'd told him what she was about to tell Rory. "All right, Rory. You wanted to know why Belinda has two fathers. Its a little bit of a complicated story. First of all, you have to know that two men can't produce a child together, nor two women, in Carla's case, Joey. What they can do, however, is find a surrogate mother: for the men or a sperm donor: for the women." 

She looked at Joey. "For Carla, her mothers went to the local sperm bank and filled out a questionnaire on the type of qualities they were looking for, was he athletic, was he smart, what he looked like, etc. They were looking for someone who had a few qualities in common with each of them. He was athletic like her mother, Mavis. He was a brunette like her mother, Sarah. He had scored near the top of his class, like both of them. Therefore, his donation was chosen by them. Sarah was the one chosen to carry Carla. So she was artificially inseminated and became pregnant. That's Carla's story."

She looked at Rory. "Now Belinda's story is special. You see, Belinda is actually known as Collin and Marcus's grandchild. Her deceased mother is actually their daughter. They had decided they wanted a child but they were turned down for adoption and foster care, time and again. Finally they put an ad in the paper for a surrogate mother. Lisa answered their ad. She had grown up in an orphanage as had her husband. He had joined the military and died in action overseas. She was devastated, even more so when she realized she was pregnant."

"After they met her, they were so taken by how sweet she was. They wanted to adopt her as well as her child. But she was going through a rough time. She was inconsolable about Belinda's father. Nothing could drag her up out of the deep depression she'd fallen into, not even the child she was carrying. They didn't change anything on their paperwork, though, so when the adoption went through, she was their daughter. Belinda is their granddaughter. When Lisa went to deliver her, she died in childbirth. That left Collin and Marcus with Belinda. They've cherished and adored her ever since." she smiled at Rory, who was blinking sleepily at her. "Good night, my baby. Sleep tight."

"Joey?" Rory yawned as he spoke. "Are we still going wall climbing tomorrow morning?"

"You know it, bud, bright and early. Get some sleep now. I'll see you in the morning." Joey told him. He stood up and walked his mother out of the room. At his room, he stopped. "He's only giving me a week with Rory. Then I'm 'expected' to be social!" he told her in a low voice. "I might not be here as long as I was hoping to be."

"I'll talk to him, try to get him to see your point of view. I know you don't want to be a lawyer. I also know, if it hadn't been for me and Rory, you would never have come back at all. Thank you for trying, Joey. I've been wanting you and Rory to be closer for a long time." Elizabeth hugged him, her oldest child. He may be the very image of her husband but this child was all heart like her. 

Joey laid down with a magazine. He looked at his clock. It was only ten o'clock. He tried to figure out if the time would be the same down where Steve lived. He knew Steve lived in the western part of his state but was he Mountain time, Eastern time, or Atlantic time? The time zones had always confused him.

He dialed Steve's cell phone number. Three rings later, Steve answered. "Taylor here, 'sup?"

"Hey, Steve. Joey here!" Joey answered. 

"Joey? Damn, man, where you at? You disappeared this morning! Hey, how about that party last night?" Steve chattered. Joey smiled. 

"I'm in New York. My damn dad swooped in this morning with a whole team of movers. Had me packed up and gone before I could even think straight! Did you get my bike? I wasn't able to let the brethren know to tell you." Joey bit his lip.

"Yeah, I figured I'd better grab it before the campus police hauled it off. It's parked in the garage with mine." Steve assured him. "Hey, we still on for opening the shop this fall?"

"Hell, yeah! Wouldn't miss it for the world. If it hadn't been for my mom and Rory, there's no way in hell the old man would have gotten me back up here!" Joey sighed. He'd been afraid Steve would change his mind about the shop. 

"Hey, listen. About that party last night. I was pretty wasted but did you introduce me to a girl named Jasmine last night?" Joey asked him. 

Steve smiled at Betsy, who was looking at him curiously. He pointed at the phone. "Joey." he mouthed. She sat up straight and smiled. "Yeah, buddy, I sure did. Why?"

"Do you think you could get Betsy to check on her? Dude, I think, damn, this is going to sound horrible but I think I slept with her last night. That's not the bad part, though. I think it might have been her first time. Could Betsy check on her, make sure I didn't hurt her? I'm hoping like hell I was gentle with her. God, I hope I didn't force myself on her, that'd be fucking awful!" Joey felt another wave of guilt go through him. 

"Joey, Joey! Calm down! Yeah, I'll have Betsy to check on her. So I take it you liked her then." Steve relaxed as Betsy got her own phone out. 

"Yeah, I was hoping you could introduce me to her again. Sometime when I'm not drunk, maybe? I really want to get to know her better. She was beautiful." Joey took a deep breath and let it out. 

"Sure thing, bud. Betsy's calling her right now. Betsy stayed here with me last night." Steve chatted idly with Joey as Betsy made some calls. 

Betsy called her dorm room. Since it was only her and Jasmine, either Jas would answer or the machine would pick up. As the machine picked up, she frowned. 'Why hadn't Jasmine answered?' She tried Jasmine's phone next.

"Hello?" a quiet voice answered. It was Jasmine! Betsy closed her eyes in relief. 

"Jasmine! Why didn't you answer the phone? I was about to freak out! Normally you don't answer your cell in the dorms!" she said in a hurry.

"I'm not-. Wait, where are you at? I'm not in the dorms." Jasmine told her.

"Not in-? Where are you? Jasmine? Why aren't you in the dorms? We still have a week of school ! You haven't taken all your tests yet!" Betsy was getting a bad feeling. 

"I left. I arranged to come back on Friday and take all my tests then. I had to get away." Jasmine said with a stifled sob. She was outside on her front porch in the swing, watching to make sure nobody heard her talking. 

"Jasmine? What's going on? You sound like you're crying. What happened?" Betsy was definitely worried now. 

"I slept with a total stranger last night! I don't even have a clue who it was! I woke up this morning in some guy's bed, naked! Someone was in the shower but I didn't wait around to see who it was! I got dressed and slipped out! I'm such a slut! The last thing I remember is talking to Steve's friend, Joey? on the couch!" she wiped tears from her eyes. 

Betsy smiled. 'It was all just a misunderstanding!' She started to tell Jasmine that but Jasmine spoke again.

"I spoiled myself last night. My parents are going to be so angry at me! I haven't figured out how to tell them yet. They've already given three of our neighbors permission to start courting me." she whispered. 

Betsy's eyes widened. "Courting you but that's, that's archaic, Jasmine! What about Joey? You liked him, didn't you? Just tell your folks you already have a boyfriend. You can come back and formally meet him!" 

"And what? Tell him that after I talked to him, I turned and screwed around with someone else! Even you know that wouldn't go over good, Betsy!" Jasmine snapped. 

Betsy suddenly realized that Jasmine had no clue her and Joey had been moved from the couch to his room! She didn't know Joey was the guy she'd slept with! The last thing she remembered was talking to him on the couch!

"Listen. You were drunk. Joey was drunk. The two of you just need to meet again, this time while you're both sober. You'll really like him, Jasmine! Just think about it, ok?" Betsy coaxed.

"Oh, all right! I'll think about it. Right now I have to go. They don't know I'm out here." jasmine started to disconnect, then heard Betsy talking again. "What was that last part?" 

"Whatever you do, don't marry any of those neighbors! That's just, ugh, positively archaic. Don't let them force you to marry someone! Promise me!" Betsy made her swear before she'd let her hang up.

Betsy looked at Steve, still chattering to an unsuspecting Joey. She took a piece of paper and wrote down what she'd learned from Jasmine. Then she held it up for him to read. His eyes widened as he realized he couldn't tell Joey that Jasmine didn't remember sleeping with him! That would be the fastest way to trip Joey up and make him believe he'd actually forced Jasmine into having sex last night. 

"Ok, Joey. This is what's going to happen. When you get back down here, we're going on a double date. Me and Betsy, you and Jasmine. It'll be like a blind date but you'll both be sober this time, yeah?" Steve teased him. Joey laughed as he agreed. 

"I'm not sure how long it'll take me to get back down there but send me some pictures and startup costs . We can go ahead and get some of the red tape cut and out of the way." Joey told him. Steve told him first thing after he was out of class tomorrow he'd go out and start scouting around, looking for just the right place for them to rent or buy.


End file.
